Related Links

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
(Jan. 3) - The New Mexico State women's basketball team collected its first
road win of Western Athletic Conference play on Thursday evening against the
Roadrunners of UTSA with a final score of 69-52 at the Convocation Center. NM
State moves ahead to 8-5 on the season and 2-1 in WAC play. The Roadrunners
move to 7-7 overall, 1-2 in conference play.

Junior Jasmine Rutledge notched a career night with 15
points, including nine in the first half. Rutledge also earned seven of the
Aggies eight field goals on the night, going 7-10 overall. She contributed to
the team's 47.4 shooting percentage while senior Stefanie Gilbreath led the
team with 19 points on the night. The senior also picked up seven rebounds and
three assists to match her season high. The Aggies shot 35 percent from behind
the three-point line with Gilbreath sinking five of those. Sophomore Danesia
Williamson earned a career-high six assists with three steals in the win.

"I thought the team
played extremely well tonight," assistant coach Tamara Inoue said of the
Aggies. "It's great to see our freshmen like Abby Scott and Shay Young playing
as well as they are this early in conference play."

NM State jumped to an early lead in the first half of play
with a three by Scott, but the Roadrunners came back quickly to move ahead
within the first 5 minutes of play. NM State answered back with a 14-2 point
run over UTSA with two three's by Gilbreath and a pair of field goals by
Rutledge.

Keeping the game flow in its favor, NM State outscored the
Roadrunners 17-2 in the last 10 minutes of the first period. Another pair of
three's by Gilbreath along with a couple of field goals by Rutledge helped the
Aggies to a 37-19 lead before sophomore Simone Ruedin sank her first bucket of
the night to close the half 37-19.

The Aggies shot 57.2 percent from the floor in the opening
half and 54.5 percent from the three-point line. Gilbreath collected 14 points
in the half, going 4-5 from behind the arc. Rozendaal also picked up four of
her rebounds and six points in the opening half while Williamson managed five
assists to match her career high as an Aggie.

The second period started with a layup from Williamson
before UTSA came back with a 10-2 run over the Aggies to move within 12 points
of the Aggies. A pair of layups by Weber and fellow freshman Shay Young brought
the Aggies back before Gilbreath hit her fifth bucket from behind the
three-point line.

Rutledge hit two from the line and Weber knocked down her
third basket of the night to help the Aggies power back to a 20-point lead with
11:26 to play in the second period. Chrissy Fletcher pushed the Aggies over the
mark her first bucket of the game before Ruedin picked up a steal and drove it
in for a layup.

Weber contributed to five of the Aggies final nine points on
the night before the Roadrunner came away with nine points of their own to wrap
the game at 69-52 in favor of NM State.

NM State tallied 25 bench points in the win with 23 off
turnovers. Forcing 18 Roadrunner turnovers, the Aggies picked up 32 rebounds
and seven steals.

"To get 25 bench points was huge for us," Inoue said. "It it's
great to see all of our players contributing and moving the ball like we do in
practice."

The Aggies make the short trip to San Marcos, Texas, to face
the Texas State Bobcats on Saturday at 1 p.m. MT. Texas State lost in overtime
on Thursday evening to Denver in overtime 73-70.